The Unknown Battle
by Candra C
Summary: An unknown Father/Son moment between Larten and Darren.


_Disclaimer__: I do not own Cirque Du Freak. Darren Shan is a gift._

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**The Unknown Battle**

**By wolfgal97**

I warbled precariously on the bars as the new half-vampire takes a whack at me with a long staff. I regained my balance of a cat and jumped over the swipe that would take my legs with it. I jabbed my own staff at his chest, hitting my mark and ending our long battle.

"Next," I shout, my huge ego ready for my next opponent.

"Larten will go," Gavner's voice rang out, an undertone of a laugh to his voice.

"You want me to fight Mr. Crepsley?" I asked. I knew my mentor was a talented fighter, but I had never dreamed of sparring with him in all my years.

"What is the matter, Darren? Are you afraid that I will win?" my mentor asked with usual sarcasm. His long scar made his challenging smirk look like it ran up the side of his face.

"No. I'm just afraid for my beloved mentor's safety," I grinned, drowning each word in sarcasm. I secretly was worried about my safety!

"It is not me that you need worry about Master Shan," the orange-haired vampire threw back.

I threw him down a staff, which he caught with one hand. I took in a deep breath as he ascended, jumping from bar to bar to meet my challenge. His cape of the bloodiest red swirled chaotically behind him.

"Prepare to loose, child," he taunted me, a rare smile meeting his emerald eyes.

"Prepare yourself, old man," I retorted back with a smirk. Vampires really didn't do smack talk in real battle, but amongst friends, it wasn't uncommon.

I attacked first, eager to prove myself yet again to my favorite vampire. I wouldn't ever tell, but Larten was my best friend. Even a sort of father to me. I always strive to be the best vampire I can for him. I want him to be proud of me.

He blocked with ease, and did a spin thrust attack to my side. We danced about, jumping on every bar close to attack or defend. Suddenly, I saw an opening. His staff was raised with both hands over his head. A confident move that was going to land him in trouble.

I took advantage.

With the swiftness only a half-vampire could have, I rammed the butt of the staff at his chest for a clean knock-off, but missed, and hit him in the head instead!

I heard a sickening crack as my friend stiffened and toppled off one of the highest bars on a forty foot drop to certain death!

Gasps went throughout the crowd that had gathered to watch us battle. Gavner's face showed utter horror as his friend fell. I screamed my mentors name, the guilt of killing him already sinking in.

I heard another thud, and was to horrified to look at the macabre scene that was surely below me. My hand tightened on the shattered staff in my hand. A murder weapon. The splinters cut my hand open, making blood slowly trickle down. This was not a nightmare, as much as I wished.

Suddenly, I hear a low moan. I peeked over the toes of my shoes, and saw that the vampire had landed sideways on a thick bar about ten feet down.

He had a cut on his head that bled freely, but he was alive! My heat leapt with joy as I jumped to his side.

"Oh my gosh! Mr. Crepsley, are you okay?" I asked in a panicky my-child-just-fell-off-the-monkeybars mothering voice.

All of a sudden, my legs were swept from under me with his staff, and I now plummeted the rest of the way down, until I felt something grab my ankle. I was screaming like a schoolgirl before I could realize I had stopped falling.

"I am fine, Darren. Are you alright," asked a dry voice?

"Put me down! I mean up!" I squirmed while the red-clad vampire perched me on the bar next to him. "You're not dead!" I was joyfully hugging the vampire, who took a moment to register that he was supposed to hug back.

"No. It will take a bit more than that to get rid of me. But Arra will want to kill you when she sees what you have done to my head and her staff..."

I looked at my bleeding hand and the wood in my hand that used to be my-my... Oh, hell! I had grabbed Arra's staff! Her name was carved into it in swirling letters.

Just then, the vampiress walked in and saw us. Mr. Crepsley made the death touch sign for me as I turned from the livid Arra Sails, fire in her eyes blazing for me.

"SHAN!" screamed a shrill voice of a war-path vampiress.

"RUN!," said the voice of my father figure.

A booming laugh from Gavner was all I heard as I ran for my life faster than a flitting vampire with the sun and stakes to it's back.


End file.
